PITTSBURGH — Erik Karlsson knows where he stands with the NHL trade deadline fast approaching.“I have full say if anything happens or not,” Karlsson said Sunday after the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 6-5 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at PPG Paints Arena.Karlsson added he hasn’t been asked to waive a full no-movement clause in his contract, which has two seasons remaining at a $10 million salary-cap hit.“Until I do get asked, whenever that is and if that is, I’ll take a stance,” he said. “Until then, I’m not going to worry about it because I have nothing to worry about.”Karlsson was acquired by Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas from the San Jose Sharks in August 2023. The trade shed some problematic contracts for the Penguins, who had missed the playoffs for the first time after 16 consecutive appearances. The hope was that adding Karlsson, coming off his third Norris Trophy season, would bolster an aging roster for at least one more deep postseason run with the core of captain Sidney Crosby and longtime teammates Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.Hope faded quicker than anybody would have predicted.The Penguins struggled out of the gate in Karlsson’s first season in Pittsburgh. Their power play, for which he was expected to be a force multiplier, flatlined. Despite a late-season surge, the Penguins missed the playoffs.Karlsson was injured late during training last summer and missed most of training camp, but he has played in all 63 games and scored eight goals and 45 points — including two assists against the Maple Leafs on Sunday.The Penguins are 1-4-1 since the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. They have played more games than any team, and only five clubs have a worse points percentage.Dubas has been in asset-acquisition mode since trading star winger Jake Guentzel for a prospects-heavy package before last season’s trade deadline. He completed a similar deal that featured veteran defenseman Marcus Pettersson in February.“I’ve always liked this group,” Karlsson said Sunday. “Obviously we haven’t gotten the most out of it. We haven’t played up to the potential that we believe we have in here. That’s tough.“But again, I love all the guys and I’ve had a good time here, and I’ll continue to do so until my time is over.”Almost anybody not among the Penguins’ famed Big Three — Crosby, Malkin and Letang are the most tenured trio of teammates in the history of major North American professional sports — is available before Friday’s trade deadline. However, Dubas is dealing with numerous contracts that require either full or partial cooperation from a player before a trade can happen.Dubas could retain a portion of Karlsson’s cap hit to entice a trade partner before Friday. Though Karlsson has not reached his Norris-level form with the Penguins, his low base salaries for the next two seasons — $4 and $1.5 million, respectively — could make him more of a commodity than a 34-year-old defenseman with term remaining typically might attract.Karlsson ranks 42nd and last on The Athletic’s recent trade board.Nothing can happen without Karlsson’s approval.Dubas has also repeatedly said he does not want to ask players with contractual restrictions to waive those clauses for the sake of trade.“I’d be the first one to know, I’m sure,” Karlsson said Sunday. “And then I’ll deal with that situation if that occurs. Up until now, it hasn’t, so it hasn’t been on my mind. It’s not something that I’m walking around thinking about, but it obviously is a stressful time here with most of this group here right now with the situation that we’re in.“Everybody’s been around long enough to know what’s going to happen, most likely. And that weighs on you.”(Photo: David Gonzales / Imagn Images)
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